Sigourney Weaver

One of Hollywood's most versatile and respected actresses, Sigourney Weaver, like many actors of her generation, had her career start on soap operas. After only a few years paying her dues, Weaver ach...
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Sigourney Weaver inspires Chappie director to rethink Alien movie

By:
WENN.com
Mar 02, 2015

Sigourney Weaver has inspired moviemaker Neill Blomkamp's upcoming Alien franchise film after chatting to her Chappie director about the character she played in the sci-fi blockbusters. Blomkamp spent hours chatting to his leading lady about his vision for a new Alien film and admits she made him rethink the whole idea.
He says, "It's just something that I've always wanted to one day be a part of. Those first two films are probably my favourite films ever made. I didn't know if it would ever happen (but) I just always wanted to participate in it if I was able to.
"Over the years, I came up with a story for a film in that universe that I wanted to make. And then when I talked to her about her experience making those films and what she thought about (character) Ripley and everything else, it informed and changed the film I wanted to make into something different.
"A year later, when post-production was winding down on Chappie, I started fleshing out the idea for a film that would contain Sigourney... I just worked on it when I could. Before I knew it, I had this really awesome film with a lot of artwork and a lot of back story. And then I didn't know whether I was going to make it or not. So I just kind of sat on it for a while."
Blomkamp recently revealed he had resumed work on the Alien project amid reports he had closed a deal with 20th Century Fox bosses to take charge of a new film in the sci-fi franchise.

"In an odd way, it was better that I was a bit freaky, because it took an unconventional director to think of me, and kept me from humdrum movies... Alien was really my first movie. Suddenly I had all these options." Sigourney Weaver credits her unusual looks with helping her forge a successful acting career.

Sigourney Weaver wants a robot butler after starring in new movie Chappie. The actress' new film revolves around a police droid reprogrammed to feel and think like a human - and she hopes the movie will inspire boffins to create really helpful, thoughtful robots for the home.
The Alien star says, "I'm sure you could program a robot to do all kinds of useful things. I think they're trying to create a butler robot for people, which would be useful. I'd like a cheerful robot, for company... 'Would you like a cup of tea?' That's the kind of robot I would want!
"That's my level; not very destructive but lovable."

"It is something actors need to figure out how to combat and it doesn't serve anyone to have privacy invaded to such an extent. She is brilliant. Leave her alone." Sigourney Weaver addresses the nude photo hacking scandal that revolved around The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence last year (14). She was one of many stars who were the subject of saucy leaked photos.

Actress Jessica Chastain has credited director Sir Ridley Scott with creating more roles for women in Hollywood by championing them as lead actors in his movies. The Zero Dark Thirty star is adamant the British moviemaker has helped change the industry over the years by letting women front his films rather than putting them in supporting roles.
She tells Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, "I've always been a fan of Ridley's. He's a gem of a human being, for starters. And he provided so many great roles for women. Look at Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in Thelma And Louise. And there was Sigourney Weaver, as Ripley in Alien. That was originally written for a man, and he changed it to a woman. That doesn't happen a lot in our business."

Hugh Jackman and his Chappie director Neill Blomkamp will appear in two European cities at the same time when they launch the new robot film in Germany at the weekend (01Mar15) - thanks to hologram technology. The filmmaker and his villain will join stars Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver on the red carpet in Berlin on Sunday and then they will stage a hologram press conference, which will be beamed to Madrid, Spain.
Jackman and Blomkamp will answer questions from both cities - and their holograms will tackle the Madrid media.

Neill Blomkamp's Alien sequel is back on with Sigourney Weaver in talks to return for the movie. The District 9 filmmaker has been dropping hints about the project online in recent months, and even gave fans a glimpse of what a new Alien film could look like in late December (14), when he shared pieces of his concept art on Instagram.com.
At the time, he claimed work on the film had been abandoned, stating, "Was working on this. Don't think I am anymore. Love it though."
He did not reveal exactly why he was stepping away from the movie, but he refused to rule out a future return, musing, "maybe I'll go back to it... love the world".
Now it appears Blomkamp has worked out any issues with bosses at 20th Century Fox and he has since closed a deal to officially take charge of the film, reports Variety.com.
Blomkamp shared the news with fans on Instagram on Wednesday (18Feb15), when he uploaded a sketch of the alien xenomorph and captioned it, "Um... So I think it's officially my next film. alien".
Further details about the untitled sci-fi project have yet to be revealed, but it is separate from Prometheus 2, the second prequel original Alien director Sir Ridley Scott is developing for 2016.
Meanwhile, Scott's Alien leading lady Weaver has revealed she is interested in returning to the franchise as Ripley after working with Blomkamp on their new movie, Chappie.
During an interview on America's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (18Feb15), she said, "We've been talking about it (new Alien movie). He (Blomkamp) is so talented."
And Weaver confessed she had already agreed to help comedian Louis C.K. land an appearance in the next Alien film.
She added, "Louis C.K. said, 'I wanna be in it and I wanna die in a terrible way.' And I said, 'I'm sure something can be arranged.'"

"This was bizarre. I got an email from the Hollywood Bowl, saying, 'Dear Ms. Weaver, were you by any chance at the Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1962? We think we have footage of you at this concert...' I can't believe it. They must have a big archive!" Alien star Sigourney Weaver was stunned to recently receive seconds-long archive film footage of herself at a Fab Four concert over five decades ago.

A musical adaptation of White House comedy Dave is in the works. The 1993 movie, featuring Kevin Kline as both the President and his doppelganger, has been turned into a stageshow by an all-star team of Broadway veterans.
Dave The Musical features music from Next to Normal composer Tom Kitt, lyrics by Legally Blonde writer Nell Benjamin, and a book by Hairspray co-creator Thomas Meehan.
Producers are hoping to premiere the show in late 2015 following a successful private reading last month (Oct14).
The film version was directed by Ivan Reitman and also featured Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Walt Disney Studios/Marvel
There are a lot of people in Hollywood who are considered sci-fi icons – George Takei, Harrison Ford, Lynda Carter – but when it comes to current sci-fi and superhero blockbusters, there’s one woman who reigns above them all: Zoe Saldana. Friday’s Guardians of the Galaxy will mark her third starring role in a major sci-fi franchise, and she’s effortlessly made the jump from one iconic character to another, earning fans and rave reviews every time. But when you think Star Trek or Avatar or even Guardians of the Galaxy, her face likely isn’t the first one that pops into your head. For some reason, Saldana hasn’t quite been able to make the jump from blockbusters to international superstar.
Major superhero and sci-fi blockbusters have a history of turning unknown or underrated actors into A-list stars. Henry Cavill was just “that guy from that thing” before he became Superman. Tom Hiddleston went from a theater darling to making women everywhere scream their heads off thanks to The Avengers. Even Sam Worthington was omnipresent for a solid year or so after Avatar was released. And yet Saldana is still best known as the “blue girl from Avatar” or “the one woman in the new Star Trek films” despite having three times as many franchises under her belt. It could be argued that Cavill and Hiddleston have a background in more prestigious projects, which has helped them become more recognizable. But Saldana also has plenty of impressive films under her belt, including collaborations with directors like Steven Spielberg, Neil LaBute, and Guillame Canet. She’s even starring in a biopic about Nina Simone, which is the kind of cinematic catnip that neither the Oscars nor audiences can resist.
What, then, is keeping Saldana from enjoying the kind of fame that other franchise stars have? Do audiences have trouble recognizing her thanks to the various CGI and full-bodied makeups that have turned her blue, green, and everything in between? Is it because she’s a member of an ensemble cast in Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy, the two films where her face hasn’t been digitally altered? Is it just because she’s not playing the sullen, broody one with daddy issues?
It’s certainly not due to lack of talent, as Saldana has always given compelling, complex performances, even in her smallest roles – remember Crossroads? She was by far the best thing about that movie – and often chooses characters that are tough and complicated. Neytiri and Uhura are interesting, strong, sometimes difficult women with a great deal of depth to them. However, despite the attention all of those characters have gotten, it still pales in comparison to the fan bases that their male counterparts have received, which has likely contributed to the smaller nature of Saldana’s general fan base.
Still, it’s likely that Gamora could be the key to launching Saldana into superstardom, or, at the very least, to being more than just “the blue one.” Though both Star Trek and Avatar were incredibly successful, Marvel’s films are currently the biggest, most attention-grabbing franchises in theaters thanks to the resurgence of superhero films and the excitement surrounding them. She’s already getting more attention and press for Gamora than she did for Neytiri or Uhura, which is probably due to the fact that Gamora is a more prominent lead than the other two. Yes, Neytiri is the only Na’vi anyone can name, but Saldana herself was overshadowed by more familiar names like Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez. The biggest name in the Guardians cast, by contrast, is Bradley Cooper, who is only doing voiceover work in the film.
The fact that she’s already starred in two other major franchises should also help Gamora become Saldana’s biggest role yet. She’s already familiar to causal moviegoers, even if they still can’t quite place her name. She’s also established herself as a fashion darling, which means that she’s likely to have graced the cover of many high-selling magazines, which is another important step towards helping her move onto the A-list. And since everyone loves a celebrity baby, she’s likely to get even more press over the course of the next few months, which will help keep her in the public’s consciousness.
Her upcoming film Nina could also be a major factor. Saldana’s always been able to balance action-heavy blockbusters with serious, quiet dramas, but she’s yet to properly breakthrough in the latter. A biopic of a major icon could be exactly the kind of films she needs to gain some awards attention, and all of the promotion that Oscar season entails would definitely encourage more people to pay attention to her. However, thus far, the film has been plagued by filming delays on controversy, so if the final product isn’t exceptional, it might do more harm than good.
Of course, if Guardians of the Galaxy does even half as well as some of its predecessors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it might just be enough to balance out any possible mis-steps, and ensure that Saldana finally gets the kind of attention that she deserves. After all, Scarlett Johansson can't play every female superhero out there.
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Cast alongside Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy in thriller "Red Lights"

Co-starred opposite Mel Gibson in Peter Weir's "The Year of Living Dangerously"

Appeared in the John Singleton directed action thriller "Abduction"

Played a Manhattan socialite in the Truman Capote biopic "Infamous"

Starred in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" with William Hurt and Joaquin Phoenix

TV debut as a regular on the NBC soap "Somerset"; appeared alongside Ted Danson and JoBeth Williams

First onscreen teaming with Kevin Kline in "Dave"

Film acting debut in "Madman" (Israel)

Had bit part as Woody Allen's movie date in "Annie Hall"

Cast opposite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in the comedy "Baby Mama"

After attending Stanford, moved to Israel and lived on a kibbutz

Returned to the NYC stage in "The Guys"; performed off-off-Broadway at the Flea, a company run by her husband

With Jennifer Love Hewitt, played a mother-daughter con team in "Heartbreakers"

Had featured role in "Company Man"

Broadway debut (as understudy) in "The Constant Wife"

Reprised role of Dana Barrett in "Ghostbusters II"

Had female lead of Dana Barrett in the blockbuster comedy "Ghostbusters"

Began using the name Sigourney (after a character mentioned in "The Great Gatsby")

Portrayed a ruthless business woman in "Working Girl"; received one of two Oscar nominations that year for Best Supporting Actress; became the first actor nominated in two categories not to win either

Was the warden in the teen feature "Holes"

Played Eve, a woman whose 16 year old stepson falls in love with her in "Tadpole"

Returned to Broadway as the star of Christopher Durang's "Sex and Longing"

Cast in the network satire "The TV Set," directed by Jake Kasdan and starring David Duchovny

Played a devout Christian who came to terms with her son's homosexuality after his suicide in the Lifetime movie "Prayers for Bobby"; earned Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress in a TV Movie

Made a cameo as The Director in the horror thriller "The Cabin in the Woods"

Re-teamed with James Cameron for the 3-D science fiction epic film "Avatar"

Appeared as an agoraphobic psychologist in "Copycat" opposite Holly Hunter

Reprised her role as Ripley in James Cameron's "Aliens"; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress

Co-starred in the Broadway production of "Hurlyburly," directed by Mike Nichols; received a Tony nomination

Cast in the crime drama "Rampart" opposite Woody Harrelson

Made early stage appearances in Southbury, CT

Played a clone of Ripley in "Alien Resurrection"

Starred in the USA Network miniseries "Political Animals" as a former First Lady-turned-Secretary of State

Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (December 16)

Appeared with Meryl Streep in the chorus of the Stephen Sondheim adaptation of "The Frogs" performed at Yale

Returned to the U.S. and enrolled at Yale

Starred with Jeff Daniels in the family drama "Imaginary Heroes"

Starred in the play-turned-motion picture drama "The Guys"

Co-starred with Bruce Willis and Henry Cavill in action thriller "The Cold Light of Day"

TV-movie debut as the wicked stepmother in "Snow White: A Tale of Terror" (original intended for theatrical release but aired on Showtime); earned an Emmy nomination

With Durang, co-wrote and co-starred in "Das Lusitania Songspiel"; produced off-off-Broadway

Again reprised Ripley for David Fincher's "Alien 3"; debuted as a producer

Re-teamed with Kline in Ang Lee's mood piece "The Ice Storm"

Teamed with Julianne Moore for the screen version of the novel "A Map of the World"

Portrayed gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey in "Gorillas in the Mist"; received one of two Oscar nominations that year for Best Actress; became the first actor nominated in two categories not to win either

Off-Broadway debut in Christopher Durang's "The Nature and Purpose of the Universe"

Formed Goat Cay Productions

Portrayed an autistic woman opposite Alan Rickman in "Snow Cake"

Summary

One of Hollywood's most versatile and respected actresses, Sigourney Weaver, like many actors of her generation, had her career start on soap operas. After only a few years paying her dues, Weaver achieved overnight stardom as the tenacious heroine, Ellen Ripley, of Ridley Scott's sci-fi thriller "Alien" (1979). The sole survivor of the original movie, Weaver returned to play Ripley for three more "Alien" sequels, setting the standard for big-screen heroines for generations to come. A statuesque beauty who became a kind of thinking man's sex symbol, Weaver lit up the screen throughout the 1980s and 1990s in a series of hit films which, genre-wise, ran the gamut; from comedy, with her hilarious turns in "Ghostbusters" (1984) and "Galaxy Quest" (1999), to critically lauded dramas and thrillers such as "The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), "Gorillas in the Mist" (1988), "Copycat" (1995) and "The Ice Storm" (1997). She even tapped into indie features like "A Map of the World" (1999), "Tadpole" (2002) and "Holes" (2003). Whether playing an autistic woman in "Snow Cake" (2007), a news reporter in "Vantage Point" (2009), or a compassionate scientist in the blockbuster "Avatar" (2008), the classically trained Weaver proved that she was that rare actress capable of playing just about any role she chose with equal skill.

Born May 11, 1911; Died Jan. 17, 1983 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound

Education

Name

Yale University

Stanford University

Ethel Walker School

Notes

Weaver's father, who was something of a Roman history buff, reportedly wanted to name her Flavia, but her mother insisted on Susan.

Weaver appeared on the cover of Time magazine (with an alien from the film "Aliens") in 1986.

"Being tall has its advantages. For me, it's a litmus test: if I enter a room and an actor stands up and then immediately gets self-conscious and sits back down, I hear myself saying, nope, this job isn't for me." – Weaver quoted in Us magazine, March 1995

"Here's my theory, producers are short. I'm not the average producer's sexual fantasy. I am tall. When I come into a room wearing platforms, they go, 'She's not my type of woman,' because what they're looking for is the petite blonde who looks up to them. With me, directors either sit up in the middle of the night and go, Sigourney Weaver! or they don't" – Weaver quoted in Movieline, September 1997

"It was never important to me to display my sexuality. I didn't feel I had to prove I was a babe to anyone. I always took parts based on the story and director, and very rarely on what the character was. [The roles] I get offered [are] isolated women. It's easier for them to see me as a woman on my own. I can have a token love story, but in the end, I'm gonna be this strong woman. Maybe it's harder for them to see me in a couples situation." – Weaver quoted in Daily News, Nov. 23, 1997

"Comedy is the one thing I'm really good at. I don't know why I've had such a serious career. I've had the most serious career." – Weaver to USA Today, Nov. 26, 1997

"I prefer to not have any image, or any one image. It's because I come from the theater originally. My dream, when I was a young actor, was to be in a repertory company, where you could play the maid in one piece and then play the leading lady in another, and go from comedy to drama and really hop all over the place. And I actually realized a long time ago that you can't expect anything to happen; you can't expect anyone else to know what you want, where you want to go next. So I guess what I'm always doing is trying to create this mini-rep company in my head." – Weaver to The New York Times, Dec. 7, 1997

"Sigourney is the one person who's shown us that you can do it all." – Winona Ryder on Weaver to The New York Times, Dec. 7, 1997

In 1998, Weaver was named Woman of the Year by the Harvard Hasty Pudding Club.

"I think when I see an actress performing in a film and it seems to be directed specifically at men then that strikes me as less inspiring than women who are acting for themselves or even for other women. That's why I admire great Europeans like Garbo and Dietrich who seem to combine their intelligence with their bodily allure so well, and not feel a problem, seem almost immune to the effect they're having." – Weaver, quoted in "The Great Movie Stars". Vol. 3, by David Shipman.

"I've just always been drawn to off-Broadway. Maybe because that's where I worked most of the time when I first came to the city and worked with so many beginning playwrights. I have always been so grateful to have had three or four years off-Broadway before I had to go and do anything that was more conventional because I feel like off- and off-off-Broadway are where the really interesting stuff starts to bubble up. Also, I feel like the off-Broadway audiences are very smart, very engaged, very sophisticated." – Weaver quoted in Playbill, March 31, 2004

"When I was eight, I asked my mother if I was pretty," Sigourney recalled. Her mom, British actress Elizabeth Inglis replied, "No dear. You're just plain." – Weaver to People magazine, April 30, 2007

"When you're young, there's so much now that you can't take it in. It's pouring over you like a waterfall. When you're older, it's less intense, but you're able to reach out and drink it. I love being older." – Weaver quoted in Esquire, January 2010